Dark Beauty
by Lady Revel
Summary: Leilah is on her way to start a new life in Thibodaux, Louisiana when she has some car trouble. She soon realizes that everything happens for a reason when she accidentally (not so much) stumbles upon her destiny in the form of a charmingly dark stranger with a unique mission. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Baron Corbin, and KO. Songs by Amigo the Devil and Brown Bird.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

As the sun rose in the Bayou Lafourche, Leilah drove down a road singing along to "Infamous Butcher" by Amigo the Devil when she heard an ominous thump followed by the sound of her flat tire flopping as she came to a stop.

"Shit!" She put the car into park and looked at her cell phone to see that she didn't have a signal. "Great, no bars…in the middle of nowhere." She got out of the car to look at the damage, feeling helpless as she remembered she used her spare and planned to replace it when she got to Thibodaux, Louisiana. She was starting a new job in a law office there and she was in such a hurry to get there that she just threw her clothes in the car and left her hometown.

After getting back in the car to think of a plan, she noticed an old, rusty tow truck coming down the road. Fighting the fear that this was how most horror movies started, she hopped out of her car to flag the truck down. The driver pulled up behind her blinding her with their headlights. Although the sun was coming up, there was still a bit of darkness enveloping her in nervousness. A husky man wearing a dirty t shirt under a Hawaiian shirt and black pants jumped out of the truck and slowly walked towards her.

"Great…I'm dead." Leilah tried to look calm and confident, but a knowing smile spread across the man's face letting her know he could sense her fear and it seemed to please him.

"Looks like you need some help." His faint Louisiana accent made him seem pleasant, but his appearance was menacing to say the least.

"Umm…yes. I got a flat tire."

"Oh well, that's nothing I can't handle…" He removed one of the dirty gloves from his hand and extended his hand to her. "I'm Bray…and you are?"

"My name is Leilah. It's nice to meet you, Bray." She shook his hand and his eyes seemed to gloss over as they went up and down her body.

"Now, you don't know that yet…" He winked as he walked around her car to see the flat. "Leilah…that's an interesting name…it means dark beauty."

"I…I know…" Her nervousness was mixed with some strange type of intrigue as he continued to check out her body and her car.

"I don't have a spare tire in my truck, but I can tow you back to my garage and get one." He leaned on her car as he stared down her blouse.

"Well…thank you. I'd really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. What kind of southern gentleman would I be to leave an elegant, dark beauty such as yourself stranded here without any help?" He placed his hand over his heart to show sincerity, but there was a coldness in his eyes that made her uneasy.

Once he got her into the truck, he drove in front of her car and hitched it to his tow before taking off down the foggy road. The ride was silent except for him humming along to an old blues song that was playing on the radio. The trip only took about 10 minutes and before she knew it, they were pulling up to an old shack with a garage attached to it. The yard was filled with abandoned cars and tires. The whole scene made her even more uneasy. Feeling her apprehensiveness, Bray turned off the engine and placed his hand on hers.

"Let's get you taken care of, shall we?" He jumped out of the truck and walked around to open the door for Leilah. "Follow me, darling." He led her into his shack and Leilah tensed up even more. "You can relax in here while I tend to your car. Help yourself to anything in the fridge…I'll be out front if you need me." Bray caressed her arm, trying to make it look like an accident. He chuckled to himself before returning to the yard, leaving Leilah to take in his humble abode.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?!" Leilah walked around and took in all the bizarre sights. He had an extensive collection of beer cans, and hubcaps scattered around the living room. She was surprised to see that even though he had a lot of "stuff", the house was very clean. No dust or dirty dishes. It was almost as if he was expecting company. She let her curiosity get the best of her as she wandered into his bathroom. There was a broken piece of mirrored glass hanging above the pristine white, porcelain sink. The small room was illuminated by a flickering neon light. Leilah laughed to herself as she realized her shock that this shack had indoor plumbing. Her journey led her to his bedroom next. It was modest with a full size bed and one dresser. His hubcap collection continued along the wall into his bedroom. "What is with this dude and hubcaps?" She was startled as she heard the screen door open. She stammered back into the living room to find Bray standing there smiling.

"I see you've had the tour."

"I'm sorry…I needed to go to the bathroom."

"Its fine, darling. I have nothing to hide." He sat down on the arm of his sofa and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I have some bad news. It looks like the lug nuts on your tire are stripped. It's gonna take me a little longer than I expected to get you up and running again."

"Oh…is it bad?"

"No, but I was just about to go do some fishing…that's what pays for all of this." He waved his hand around and laughed at his meager surroundings. "I realize you're dressed to kill, but you're more than welcome to join me." He removed his hat dramatically as if he were inviting her to dance at a grand ball.

"Well…I don't have anything else to do!" Leilah was starting to loosen up with Bray, but she was still cautious because he was still a stranger and they were in the middle of nowhere.

After being out in his boat on the Bayou for what seemed like the whole day, they came back with a net full of crawfish from the trap he set the night before, and some catfish. Leilah's pants were dirty, but she had to admit she had a good time.

"I'm a mess! I think I should get changed." Leilah went to her car to get one of her bags to throw on some bayou appropriate clothes. As she closed the car door, she noticed something white protruding from the ground. Once again, letting her curiosity take over, she went to have a closer look. Looking closer, she could see what appeared to be a trail of thin white protrusions. She followed the trail to a huge piece of wood. It was clearly covering something and her intrigue wouldn't let her rest until she knew what it was. Moving the wooden cover with her foot, she was able to peek inside and see a pile of bones and skulls. She fell back onto the ground and crawled back to her car showing no regard for her pantsuit. "What the fuck?!" She whispered to herself through trembling hands, as she tried to keep herself quiet. "That can't be what I think it is!" She took a few minutes to compose herself before walking back into the shack with her bag.

"How about you go get all cleaned up while I make up some crawfish jambalaya?" Bray had a smile on his face as he thrust a knife in between the head and thorax of one of the crawfish before tossing it into a pot of boiling water.

"Umm…sure…I'll just go into the bathroom." Leilah frantically searched her brain for a plan as she changed into pair of sweat pants and a t shirt. "Think, Lei….you gotta get out of this!" As she hyped herself up, she left the bathroom and joined Bray in the front of the shack. She heard him singing along to "Hell and You". Her urgency turned to genuine interest as she heard him croon out the deliciously dark lyrics. "You like Amigo the Devil?" She startled him as he added the last crawfish to the boiling pot.

"He's the only thing worth listening to…" Bray put down his knife and grabbed two beers before walking over to Leilah.

"That's one of my favorite artists…I was actually listening to Amigo when my tire blew."

"Ahh…maybe that was _the devil_ trying to bring us together." He handed her a beer that she was reluctant to take. "Not your brand?" He chuckled as he took a liberal swig from his can.

"Beer really isn't my thing…" Leilah looked around at the various cans he had on shelves around the living room. "But I can see that you're an aficionado."

"Nah.." He laughed heartily. "Each of these cans is special to me…they mean something." He waved his arm around the room before turning his attention back to Leilah. "Drink, my dark beauty…it goes so well with jambalaya." A smile spread across his face as she popped the tab and took a sip. "There you go!" Leilah actually liked the beer. It was light with a crisp finish.

"Not so bad…" She took a bigger sip as she sat down on the couch and Bray joined her after turning off the burner under the boiling pot.

"I feel drawn to you…there was something about you standing on the side of the road today that I haven't experienced in a while." He put his arm on the back of the couch behind her as "Perfect Wife" began to play. "And something tells me you were drawn to me too." Leilah's hands started to tremble as he got closer to her. "Don't be scared…this is all a part of his plan…" Leilah felt herself getting very sleep as her vision began to blur until she blacked out.

When Leilah started to come to, she noticed she was in his bedroom with her hands and feet tied. He had lit candles all around and was standing there watching her when she woke up.

"Please don't hurt me!" Leilah was frantic at the sight of Bray watching over her.

"Hurt you? I'd never hurt you, my dark beauty! You're different! Nothing like the others…" He took a pair of scissors from the dresser and cut her shirt and pants off. "You're even more beautiful than I hoped!" Leilah looked around the room in confusion, noticing the sun had set and she was surrounded by darkness, except the candles.

"What do you want from me?!"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Bray put the scissors down and sat at the foot of the bed. "Do you remember the woman who conducted your interview at the law firm in Thibodaux?" Leilah searched her brain for the woman's name.

"Yes…it was Abigail…what does she have to do with this?!"

"Well, she is somewhat of a _sister_ to me. She sensed something in you at that interview and knew you'd be the perfect woman for me."

"This is crazy!" Leilah squirmed as she tried to get free.

"She's never wrong about these things, Leilah. Everything from your name to your taste in music has shown me that you belong with me." Leilah squirmed some more to get free, making Bray feel sorry for her. "I think you still need some convincing…" Bray picked up the scissors and cut Leilah's bra, freeing her breasts. He took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked it while twisting the other one between his fingers. Leilah hated that she was aroused by him and fought back a moan as he bit her nipple making her whole body jerk with delight. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to please you."

"What about the bones?" Leilah tried to clear her head and scald herself for wanting him to touch her again.

"Oh you mean my personal graveyard?" Bray took the scissors and snipped at her panties until she was fully naked on his bed. "Those were my victims…some sad, entitled assholes stranded on the side of the road after a night of drinking and driving…I'd lure them back here with the promise of beer and I'd end their miserable existence before they had the opportunity to kill someone by trying to drive home drunk. I know you left your hometown because of what a drunk driver did to your boyfriend! Some people have no regard for human life! " His voice raised as he turned his attention to the hubcaps and beer cans on the wall of his bedroom. "Each beer represents the last drink they ever had!" He chuckled maniacally. "The hubcaps are another souvenir from their cars. I kept these things as a reminder of the good I'm doing that will last beyond their decaying bodies in my _personal graveyard_." Leilah laid there taking in his twisted tale as she cried to think about how her boyfriend's life was cut short by some asshole who made the decision to drive after overindulging at a bar. "But your beer can…this isn't some trophy!" He picked up her beer can and waved it in front of her face. "This was a catalyst for us. I needed a way to show you that you're my missing piece and I'm yours." He put it down on the dresser and walked over to the bed, brushing his hand along her folds, that were already wet and giving him confirmation that she wanted him as bad as he wanted her. "There's no pleasure like being with your kindred soul, Leilah…let me show you." He stood over her and kissed her passionately as she felt her head swirling from the residual drug he had given her. He breathed something into her that freed her from her inhibitions and made her eager to taste him. As she kissed him back, she longed to feel him in her arms, but he made her wait. He licked her lips as he pulled away from her to kiss his way down her body. Licking and sucking down her neck, he felt her body crying out for him as she let out a soft whimper. He took a moment to smile at her when he reached her stomach. He laid his head on her stomach and his eyes rolled back in his head before standing up to untie her feet and positioning himself between her legs. Without warning, he gave her delicate folds a long and endearing lick making _her_ eyes roll back this time. Using his fingers to spread her open, he forced his tongue inside of her and slowly licked up until his lips were wrapped around her clit. Watching her squirm with pleasure was like a drug for him.

"Yes…." She shivered and used her newly freed legs to lift her body up as he devoured her like an animal. He slurped at her and drank her juices down as if they were the cure for all of his ailments. Bringing her to multiple orgasms, he finally rose from her and unbuttoned his pants, letting them slide to the floor.

"My dark beauty…your nectar has brought me back to life!" He slid on top of her making sure to brush against her sensitive clit as he came eye to eye with her, and seeing that the fear had completely left her body. Feeling her willingness to touch him, he untied her hands and she grabbed him as their naked bodies consorted in a strange ache that she'd never felt before. He once again took one of her nipples in his mouth, moaning with desire while she held his head as he bit down.

"Ahh…fuck!" Her body gyrated as she yearned to feel him inside of her. Picking up on her vibrations, he licked his way back up to her ear.

"Turn over." He whispered with a mix of tenderness and respect, but his voice was stern to suggest that he was making a command instead of asking. She locked eyes with him as she turned over and knelt on the bed in front of him. He lightly bit her ass and kissed her lower back before gripping her hair and tugging on it gently.

"Mmm…" Leilah was getting high from his touch and gentle aggression. After worshipping her ass for a few moments, he rubbed his dick along her wetness and pulled away to keep from getting too excited. "Fuck me…" Leilah whispered, getting in on the commands, making Bray laugh to know he had awakened something in her that had lied dormant for a long time.

"As you wish, my queen…" He plummeted into her taking both of their breath away. He gave her slow, methodical thrusts, driving her crazy. Each time he sunk into her he felt her body conforming to his size as he hit every inch of her walls, making her fall onto her elbows in submission. "I need you to feel every inch of me!" He grabbed her hair again pulling her back up, as he pounded into her with a quickened, relentless pace. Leilah screamed out as her back tingled with an intense pain that was balanced by the pleasure he was giving her.

Feeling himself about to cum, he quickly pulled out and turned her over so she was laying on her back. Without any warning, he slid into her as they laid face to face. He controlled the pace and it was driving her insane. Slowly, with force he slid in and out of her, stroking her clit each time. Her moans became almost ritualistic. As her eyes rolled back into her head, he kissed her knowing his orgasm would be coming soon.

"There's a beautiful darkness in you that only I can bring out. Let it out….let it go!" He stroked faster and faster, letting out his own archaic moans in between sweet kisses and gently biting her lip. "Ahh! Let it out, my dark beauty! Fuck…Let it out!" His strokes got faster and more powerful as he came inside of her at the same time that she let out a loud scream signaling she had another orgasm, leaving her body convulsing with pleasure and ultimate surrender to the darkness that had been inside of her all along.

He laid on top of her spent from his own release and she gently kissed him on the forehead, making him chuckle with a sense of achievement.

"That was amazing…" She was out of breath and still trying to wrap her head around what had just happened.

"That was destiny, my queen." Bray sprung up from the bed and put his clothes back on as Leilah slowly sat up and staggered to her feet. "Go get dressed, my love…we have work to do." Leilah didn't question Bray. She just went to her bag that she brought into the house and slipped into a pair of jeans and a black v neck tee. When he saw her resurface from the bathroom, he grabbed her and shoved his tongue her throat before taking her hand and leading her to the front door, and out to his truck.

It was around 1 am according to the clock in his truck and Leilah had no idea where they were going, but she felt completely comfortable with following him wherever he wanted to go. After driving along the same road she blew a tire on, they saw two dark figures among the trees. Upon a closer look, it was two men standing there like statues. They were very tall and one of them had on a dirty wifebeater, and had a rifle slung over his shoulder. The other man stood in mechanic coveralls wearing a sheep mask. Bray nodded at both of the men and then looked at Leilah who had a confused look on her face.

"Don't be afraid…they are our followers." Bray patted Leilah's leg calming her anxiousness. About a mile up the road, there was a BMW stranded with a flat tire. "Looks like our followers found us a live one." There was a man dressed in a suit who was clearly intoxicated waving them down. It was at that moment that Leilah put it together that the "followers" shot out the tires of Bray's victims and hers as well.

Just as they pulled up behind the broken down car, "Dahmer Does Hollywood" started to play in the truck and they shared a sadistic smile. Bray turned to Leilah and put his hand on her stomach before kissing her. He looked as if he was worshipping her as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, tasting his fortune.

"Together, we can rid this world of the scum that doesn't even deserve to live…" He held her face and peered into her eyes filling her heart with promise, just as he had filled her body with his seed. She smiled with tears in her eyes before kissing the palm of his hand. "Are you ready?" He cracked the door and grabbed the knife he kept hidden next to the driver's seat. Leilah nodded her head as she opened her door to join her kindred soul in their journey to cleanse this ungrateful world…one life devaluing asshole at a time.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Leilah stood in the kitchen making breakfast as she heard Bray emerge from the bedroom. She was completely naked except for one of his shirts that she had draped over her body. He walked up behind her and grabbed her, placing his hands on her stomach.

"Good morning, my queen." He planted a big kiss on her neck and she smiled as she nestled into him. It had been two weeks since she had participated in her first cleansing with Bray and her souvenir beer can and hubcap sat on a shelf in the kitchen that she smirked at every time looked at it. There hasn't been another cleansing since, but she was enjoying her satisfying relationship with Bray in their own little world.

"Good morning, my love. Breakfast is ready." She slipped the sunny side up eggs onto his plate with 3 slices of bacon. He rubbed her stomach again and kissed her before taking the plate to the small table that he purchased at Leilah's request. She was giving his house the woman's touch it needed to become their home and her every wish was his command.

With Bray's constant attention to her stomach, Leilah began to get a little self-conscious, but he assured her that her body was perfection in his eyes. He never expressed what his fascination was with her mid-section, but he told her it would be clear to her soon enough.

After they finished breakfast, Bray went out to go fishing with Harper and Rowan. They lived in Bray's garage on two cots with access to an outhouse behind it. They came in to the house to shower, but Bray said they liked to live a rugged life because it helps them to keep their edge. They rarely looked Leilah in the eye, but they would do anything she asked them to do. They feared and followed Bray, but they revered Leilah.

Several hours later, Bray returned from the bayou with Harper and Rowan, and day's-worth of crawfish and catfish. The men came in to Leilah wearing a pair of short black shorts and a black tank top. Bray was the only one that looked at her. Harper and Rowan kept their heads down until Bray gave them permission to say hello to her. They each acknowledged her before Harper went to get in the shower and Rowan sat at the table facing the opposite direction from Bray and Leilah.

"We met a guy on the bayou today who just moved here from Kansas. We're gonna take him to our favorite watering hole tonight. Seems like a nice guy. Would you care to join us?" Bray ran his hand up Leilah's shorts and brushed against the flower that he had all but claimed as his own over the past few weeks. Leilah let out a light whimper and Rowan stood to walk out the front door so they would have some privacy. "Its fine Rowan…sit." Rowan sat back at the table as he was instructed and tried not to listen to their conversation.

"That sounds like fun…I think we could use a night out." Leilah sprung from the couch to go pick out her outfit and Bray smacked her ass so loud it made Rowan flinch followed by a smirk as he shook his head.

Within a few hours, the whole gang piled into Bray's other truck and were heading up the road to their new neighbor's house to pick him up. Bray kept the four door Ford F-150 after he killed the previous owner during one of his cleansings about 2 months ago. It was the only vehicle that could accommodate his two followers and his new friend who was almost 7 feet tall.

They pulled up to a small house that was in better condition than Bray's with a big, black motorcycle parked in the dirt driveway. A tall man dressed in a black leather vest and dirty jeans came out of the house. He had a stern look on his face until he saw Bray, then he cracked a slight smile while climbing into the backseat of the truck.

"What's up guys?" The tall stranger greeted each of the men, but he waited for Bray to introduce him to Leilah.

"Baron, this is my queen, Leilah. Leilah, this is the new neighbor I was telling you about." Bray smiled at Leilah and took her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Leilah." Baron sat back and kept silent for the rest of the ride until they pulled up to a bar called "Last Call". From the outside it looked like an old red barn, but there was good mix of patrons going into the bar. They pulled into a space in the parking lot and hopped out of the truck just as a black Alfa Romeo 4C Spider zipped into a space two cars down from them. The group's attention turned to the car to see who stepped out of it, but it was Baron's jaw that dropped when he saw the driver. After throwing the car in park, a brown skinned woman dressed in a black leather jacket and tight jeans hopped out of the drivers' side and she chirped her alarm before walking into the bar as if she were on a mission. Noticing Baron's expression, Bray grabbed Leilah's arm and whispered in her ear.

"Looks like our little town just got a whole lot more interesting to our new friend." Bray kissed her as they strolled into the bar.

The inside of the bar was smoky and crowded, but Harper and Rowan walked up to an already occupied booth, and before long the patrons vacated their seats to stand at the bar. Bray motioned for Leilah to sit down. He slid into the booth next to her, Harper and Rowan slid into the other side and Baron pulled up a chair to sit at the end of the table.

They sat and told stories, drinking beer, all except Harper who was the designated driver. After about 3 beers, Baron was craning his neck to see if the woman from outside was still in the bar. Leilah noticed that he was looking for her and thought it was adorable, so she helped him out.

"She's down at the end of the bar…" Leilah's comment made the whole table erupt in laughter, causing Baron to rub his face in embarrassment.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" Baron turned to see her sitting alone at the end of the bar.

"Just go talk to her…"Leilah reached out and touched Baron's hand drawing looks of moderate jealousy from Harper and Rowan.

"Hey…nothing ventured, nothing gained…" Bray wrapped his arm around Leilah. "I would've never met my queen without taking some chances."

"Yeah, but try talking to her before you have your friends shoot her tire out." Leilah made Bray, Harper and Rowan laughed loudly as Baron sat there in confusion before getting up to approach the woman at the end of the bar.

Baron stared down the man who had just sat down on the stool next to her until he got up and left. He stood in the empty space feeling her stare on the side of his face. She was rubbing her finger around the rim of her red wine glass as she chuckled to herself at Baron's shyness.

"Did you come over here just to brood or were you going to say something?" Her smile made him laugh at himself.

"Nothing shy about you, huh? I'm Baron…" He extended his hand and she was mesmerized by the size of it.

"Ivy…nice to meet you, Baron." Her eyes sparkled as she took him in and his nerves were calmed by her sweet smile.

"Like Poison, huh?" Baron sat on the stool to get closer to her.

"Only to those who have it coming…" She sipped her wine and winked at him.

"What is a beautiful woman like you doing in a bar alone on a Saturday night?"

"Sometimes I prefer to be alone…besides, I'm kinda working." Ivy's eyes shifted to a drunk man who had been trying to send her shots all night.

"Working? What exactly do you do?" Baron tried to follow her eyes, but he couldn't figure out who she was looking at. "Are you a bouncer or security guard, or something?" He laughed to himself until he saw that her face was stern.

"Something like that…" The tilt of her lips as she smiled was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen. "I'd love to sit here and have a pleasant conversation with a gentleman such as yourself, but duty calls." She stood from her stool and finished her glass of wine before turning to walk towards the door.

"Wait! How can I reach you? You know, so we can finish this _pleasant conversation_ …" Baron's charm was interesting to Ivy. Usually she only met guys who were drunk and pushy.

"I'm around…all you have to do is look, honey…" Ivy walked out the front door as quickly as she breezed in. Baron didn't notice, but the drunk bum who had been coming onto her all night followed her shortly after leaving the bar.

Baron returned to the table feeling like Ivy took his breath away. Bray and Leilah knew the look on his face all too well. Bray laughed as the group got up to leave.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall…" Bray patted Baron on the back and he could only shake his head at the way this complete stranger made him feel.

Once they were outside the bar, they climbed in the truck, Harper drove while Baron rode shotgun. Baron saw a drunk man getting into the passenger seat of Ivy's car before she peeled out down the dusty road. His mind was all over the place as he thought about what her "work" could be. Looking from the outside, she appeared to be some kind of prostitute, but that only made Baron want to rescue her…he'd definitely try to find her again.

After dropping Baron off, the group went back to Bray's house and spent another hour or so drinking beer and listening to music. Bray was pretty drunk and he was getting careless about touching Leilah in front of the guys. As they all sat in the living room, he pulled down her shirt and sucked one of her nipples right in front of them. Leilah moaned and climbed on top of him in her own personal drunken haze. Rowan, who had more than a few beers, stared at the display as he started to breathe harder. It had been such a long time since he felt the touch of a woman and he'd never been with a woman as beautiful as Leilah. Noticing the look of desperation on his brother in arm's face, Harper picked him up by his collar and shoved him towards the door. They left the house without Bray and Leilah even knowing because they were so consumed with each other. Both Rowan and Harper were left to satisfy themselves with the thoughts of what they had seen, but they'd never intrude on Bray's relationship with Leilah. Outside of their fantasies, she was off limits.

Meanwhile, in a rooming house a few blocks from the "Last Call", Ivy had her hands full with her drunk admirer. She had seen him in the bar a few times before and she always turned his advances down until she saw him forcing himself on a woman in an alley last weekend. Then she knew she needed to become better acquainted with this man. He sat on her bed with his blood shot eyes barely able to focus on her standing in front of him. She pretended to be drunk, but she only had one glass of wine that night because alcohol distracted her from her work.

"Come here, baby….I need to feel those tits!" His slurred speech let her know he was ready.

"You mean these tits?" Ivy dropped her leather jacket on the floor and ripped her shirt off over her head exposing her fire red bra. He lunged towards her, but she pushed him back on the bed. She pretended to lose her balance to play up her drunk act. "You gotta be a good boy if you wanna fuck me…" She slowly unbuttoned her jeans and slipped them down to her ankles before stepping out of them. He was losing his mind on the bed as he unbuttoned his own jeans and started to stroke his growing erection.

"I'm gonna fuck your brains out!" He watched her as she walked around him and climbed on the bed behind him to massage his shoulders. She made sure to press her breasts against his back as he continued to stroke himself, anxiously waiting for the moment he'd get to be inside of her.

"You're a bad boy aren't you?" Ivy nibbled at his ear to distract him as she reached under her bed to grab her favorite hatchet.

"I can't wait to get some of that pussy!" He stroked harder and just as he was about to turn around to pin her to the bed, she wrapped her arm around his throat to secure him.

"No…I'm gonna fuck YOUR brains out!" Ivy struck him repeatedly with the hatchet until fragments of skull and blood were all over her bed. His body fell lifelessly onto the floor and she just stood there and sighed at the pathetic sight of his body. "Fucking scumbag!" She kicked his body before going through her normal clean up ritual. She cut his body up and put him in one of the large trash bags she kept under her bathroom sink. Her landlord, who was madly in _lust_ with her and the only person who knew what she does, helped her carry the bags down to the dumpster. After the bags were disposed of properly, she gently stroked her landlord's round, hairy face and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Goodnight, Kevin." She gave him a wink and walked back up to her room where she showered, changed her rubber sheets and climbed into bed. Just another day at the office.

**More chapters to come! Feedback is appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

During the following week, Bray and the guys had been spending more time with Baron and they discovered they had a lot in common. One night after Bray set the crawfish trap, the men all sat outside of Baron's house drinking beer and talking.

"Baron, you seem like a nice guy…what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Bray swigged at his beer with intrigue. Baron hung his head in shame with a reflective look on his face. He swallowed the last of his beer and crushed the can in his hand.

"I got into some trouble and had to split…" Baron looked at Bray's face to see if that answer would suffice, but all three men were obviously curious.

"No need to hold anything in…we're all brothers here!" Bray waved his arms in the air as Harper and Rowan nodded in agreement. Baron rubbed his chin as he nodded his head.

"Ok…uh…I killed a man…" The circle went quiet as they all waited for Bray's reaction.

"Is that all?!" Bray's laughter bounced off of the trees around them and the rest of them gradually joined in, Baron being the last.

"Is that _all_? That's not the reaction I was expecting." Baron grabbed another beer feeling more at ease now that his secret was out.

"Well…he must've done something to deserve it…"Bray put his hand on Baron's shoulder and waited for more info.

"He beat my mom…he was my stepdad." Baron clenched his fists as he recalled the story. "I started noticing bruises on my mom when I went to visit her. One day I stopped by unexpectedly and saw him slapping her around. I lost it and choked him out until I felt his body go limp."

"Wow!" Bray seemed excited by the story. "What did you do with the body?" Bray's thirst for the gory details was written all over his face.

"I had a friend who worked at the dump. He helped to toss the body there. I needed to get away. So I drove the furthest I could, saw a sign in town for a house for rent and took it." Baron finished another beer and crumpled the can before throwing it to the side.

"Well, sometimes the only way to rectify a situation is to perform a cleansing. Some people don't deserve to walk this earth…ya know?" Bray looked at Rowan and Harper, and they got up and walked away from the circle. "I'd like you to join me on a little ride this weekend." Baron nodded his head accepting the invitation, but it was clear something else was on his mind.

"Sounds good…but I have to make a stop on Saturday night." Baron put his hand on Bray's shoulder as he chuckled to himself.

"Ahh…that firecracker from the bar? I understand. I'll even join you for a drink and we can go from there." Bray ended the conversation and started back towards his house with a deep respect for Baron. He had the ability to handle himself. He was starting to see why he was drawn to Baron. Everything happens for a reason.

As the week came to an end, Bray was lying in bed with Leilah on Friday night when he told her that Baron would be joining him and the guys in pursuit of another cleansing that night.

"Are you sure he can handle this, baby?" Leilah stroked Bray's hair as he laid his head on her chest.

"Yes, my dark beauty. He's capable of doing what must be done. He's ready." Bray kissed her stomach before getting out of bed and getting dressed. "But we have to make a stop at the 'Last Call' first." Bray shifted his eyebrows up and down letting Leilah know it was for Baron's sake.

"He's going back for that girl?!" Leilah held her chest as her heart was warmed to think of how the stranger had sparked Baron's interest.

"No man is an island, love." Bray kissed her forehead after he was fully dressed. "You stay just like that…I'll finish with you when I get back." He winked at her as he walked out of the bedroom and out of the house to go pick Baron up.

By the time the men got to the bar, it was about 11pm and the bar was packed with bikers, a few hipsters and some fresh faced 21 year olds, but Baron couldn't help but notice that Ivy's car wasn't outside.

"Just be patient. She'll be here." Bray sipped at his sole beer for the evening as Baron had barely touched his whiskey because his attention was locked on the door. While sitting at the bar, a drunken man in his early 20s bumped into Baron spilling his beer all over him.

"Hey! What the hell is your problem?!" Baron stood up and grabbed the man by his collar.

"Fuck you!" The younger man tried his best to get in Baron's face. He was clearly experiencing a case of beer muscles. Bray put his hand on Baron's shoulder to calm him down.

"No worries, my friend…" Bray patted Baron on the back as he sat back down on his stool. "I feel we may see that young man again real soon…You need to focus on your lady friend right now." The young man staggered away to rejoin his friends at the other end of the bar and Baron tried his best to sip at his drink to calm his nerves.

Somewhere around 12:30, the door opened and Baron's heart nearly stopped as Ivy walked in. She was wearing her tough leather jacket and a pair of tight jeans, just as she had the night they met. Baron turned to alert Bray of Ivy coming into the bar, but when he turned to Bray, he only saw an empty stool and he was nowhere in sight. Ivy walked directly to Baron and sat on Bray's empty stool.

"Well hello there stranger…." Ivy motioned for the bartender to come over and ordered a glass of Merlot. "I told you all you had to do was look." She swept her auburn hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear to give herself a better view of Baron.

"How do you know I wasn't just having drink or waiting for friends?" Baron sipped his whiskey as he got caught up in her smile again.

"You're right! You could've _just_ been having a drink or meeting friends, but you and I both know that's not true." She turned on her stool and looked directly at him, catching him off guard.

"Nothing gets passed you, does it?"

"Not usually…I'm a very perceptive woman…" She sipped her wine and giggled as Baron stared a hole into her. The second he broke his gaze from Ivy, he noticed Bray standing by the door gesturing for him that it was time to go.

"Look, I gotta go, but I'd love to find a time when we'd be looking for each other at the same time…" Before Baron could finish, she wrote her name and number down on a bar napkin and slipped it into the pocket of Baron's vest.

"I'm not working tonight…if you're up later, give me a ring."

"I might just do that…" Baron patted his pocket as he walked away from her and joined Bray outside.

The clock in Bray's tow truck said it was 1 am on the dot as they slowly crept up the road. Bray saw Harper and Rowan walking on the side of the road and gave them a nod.

"Baron, I think it's time I informed you of my mission…you see, your story about ending your stepfather's miserable existence is kinda what I specialize in. There are douchebags that aren't fit to lick my boots let alone walk this earth." Baron slowly turned his head to look at Bray. "Take this guy for instance…" Bray pulled up behind a Honda pulled over on the side of the road. "He has such disregard for human life that he has chosen to get behind the wheel even though he's clearly drunk. He doesn't care because he'll most likely kill some innocent person driving home from work and he'll walk away with a few scrapes and bruises…unless we stop him." Bray put the tow truck in park as the same disrespectful young man from the bar opened the door of the Honda to throw up.

"That's the dude from the bar…" Baron craned his neck to get a better look at his face as the young punk threw up on the side of the road.

"Yes…the entitled, spoiled little bastard from the bar…don't you think the world would be a much better place if it were cleansed of scum like him?" Bray pulled out his knife from the side of the door and handed it to Baron. Baron flashed back to how drunk his stepfather had been the day he was trying to beat his mom to death. He became enraged all over again and the recent memory of blatant disrespect from the young man at the bar only fueled his rage.

"This isn't my style…" Baron handed the knife back to Bray and looked down to grab a leather handled, 16 ounce straight claw hammer from the floor. "This is more my speed."

"I understand, everybody has their own taste. You have yours…" Bray took the knife in his hand and ran his fingers along the blade. "This is mine." Bray and Baron hopped out of the truck and approached the man who was now dry heaving next to his flattened tire. "Need a little help?" The man raised his head to see them and immediately picked up where he left off at the bar.

"What do you assholes want?! I don't need your help! I'm outta here as soon as I call AAA." He sat on the hood of his car as he tried to raise his phone to get a better signal, but he had no luck.

"Such contempt for me and my friend…I think you need to be taught a lesson, son." As soon as Bray got the words out, Baron rushed to the front of the car, smacking the man with the claw of the hammer. He hit him with such blunt force that the hammer was lodged in his skull, between the eyes. "Oh shit!" Bray was pleasantly shocked at Baron's quickness. He didn't wait for an exchange of pleasantries. He struck quickly and with brute force.

The two of them drug his body back to Bray's tow truck and positioned the body between them as they drove back to Bray's house to complete the disposal. There was no beer can or hubcap from Baron's first cleansing. He didn't need mementos. The tingling sensation he felt every time he'd hold that hammer was all the reward he needed.

After hacking the body carefully and throwing it in Bray's graveyard, Baron went back to his house to clean up and call Ivy, but Bray was on a high he'd never experienced before. He had always enjoyed the "dance" leading up to a cleansing, but it felt great to have Baron add a more direct approach to their mission. The diversity made him positively giddy. Bray showered and invited Harper and Rowan into the house for a celebratory drink. Both of them had showered and joined Bray, having the time of their lives as they relived the events of that night.

"Men, we've recruited another brother this evening. He knows the importance of cleansing this earth and he's prepared to do so whenever necessary. Let's drink to the expansion of our unit!" The three men shot whiskey and pounded beers until almost 4 am when Leilah came out of the bedroom wearing a black lace nightgown. She had joined them in a few drinks after they disposed of the body, but the excitement of the evening was making her even more aroused than usual. "Behold my queen!" Bray staggered over to her and pushed her against the wall, kissing her neck and fighting the urge to break the straps of the "see through treat" she had been saving for him. Harper and Rowan were both drunk, and couldn't take their eyes off of her.

"I think you're embarrassing the guys…" Leilah said, as she sauntered into the living room and stood in front of them, giving them a full display of the reason she had Bray wrapped around her finger. The closer she got, the more Harper and Rowan fought to keep from looking at her. Noticing their diverted eyes, Leilah decided to have a little fun. "I don't think they like to look at me, baby." She turned to Bray, who was thoroughly enjoying the way she was making his loyal followers squirm.

"Did you hear that, fellas? The queen doesn't think you like looking at her…Now, I know her beauty is blinding, but if she wants you to look at her…you look!" Bray held his position leaning against the wall behind Leilah. Harper and Rowan brought their eyes up to Leilah as she slid one strap from her shoulder. Her eyes went to Rowan who had a more than impressive bulge growing in his pants. Leilah turned and got a nod of approval from Bray before walking over to Rowan and sitting on his lap.

"Your eyes…among other things…" She grinded on his erection. "Give you away every time, Rowan." He struggled to figure out what to do with his hands. "Let me help you out." Leilah stood up and sat back down, straddling him, placing his hands on her ass. He let out a moan and Bray continued to stand back as if he were enjoying a peep show. "Is that better?" She gently kissed his forehead as she rocked from back to front, letting him feel her through his pants. Just as Rowan began to grab onto to her ass voluntarily as she grinded on him, she turned her attention to Harper who was sitting right next to him. "And you...you never show any emotion! I bet there's nothing I can do break you down…is there?" Leilah shot a look at Bray, who was now sitting in a chair across the room with a huge smile on his face. She took his continued approval and reached over to rub her hand over Harper's crotch to feel that he was very excited, even though he had a terrific poker face. "Oh! Wow!" She laughed hysterically at how large he was as Bray just sat stroking his chin. Rowan had broken his barrier of apprehension and was now gently kissing Leilah on the neck as he moaned in her ear, while she continued to grind on his lap. She leaned over and unzipped Harper's jeans fully exposing a long, hard dick. She was awestruck at first, but that only lasted a few seconds before she bent down to take the tip in her mouth. He tried to maintain his composure, but feeling the soft lips that he's secretly fantasized about around his dick was driving him crazy. His head fell back as she eagerly sucked him into her mouth making Rowan jealous. Bobbing her head up and down had him grunting like a monster.

"I think he likes that, my queen…don't stop." Bray had his hand in his pants, slowly jerking off as he watched the love of his life pleasing his two loyal followers.

"Do you like it?" Leilah looked up at Harper as she took him all the way into her mouth, making him cry out and hold the back of her head in place as he hit the back of her throat. When she released him from her mouth, she sucked the tip before popping it out. "I asked you a question!" She shoved her head back down on his dick making him cry out again.

"Yes! Yes I like it! Fuck!" Harper fought the urge to lift his hips and fuck her face the way her throat was begging him to, but he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. She pulled her head up from him and sat back up to turn her attention back to Rowan.

"And what do you like?" She slid off his lap and knelt between his legs while unzipping his coveralls and forcing him to pull them down. His colossal dick sprang from his pants, pointing directly at the ceiling. A small drop of pre-cum was coming out from the way she was grinding on him earlier. She licked it away and he moaned as he looked away unable to handle what was happening. She gently sucked the head of his throbbing dick, knowing he was so aroused he could cum at any minute. As she took more of him in her mouth, she heard Bray moaning behind her as he jerked faster and faster. She sucked Rowan's balls for few seconds before she walked over to Bray and knelt between his legs. She pulled his hand from his pants and pulled them down further, freeing the girth that her body seemed to be molded to. Knowing he was about to cum, she sucked him off vigorously until he took over and thrust his hips into her face as he came in her mouth. Harper and Rowan were both jerking off as they watched the revered queen drink down the juices of their leader.

"I think we should take this party to the bedroom…" Bray extended his hand to help Leilah up and escort her to the bedroom while nodding for the guys to join them.

All of the men shed their clothes on the way to the bedroom, leaving Leilah as the only clothed member of the party. She sat on the edge of the bed and Bray pushed her back so she was laying down. Unable to help himself, Bray knelt on the floor and buried his face in her pussy, tasting the sweetness that had become a regular part of his diet since they met. With each lick and slurp, she moaned and her hips gyrated wildly. Without warning, she screamed as she came in his face and he slurped up every drop before standing to look at Harper and Rowan. The look on their faces made it clear that they were eager to taste her as well.

"Both of you should get on your knees and worship the queen…Rowan, you're first." Bray patted Rowan on the shoulder as his humble follower dropped to his knees and dove into Leilah's pussy in one fluid motion. He ate her like a starving man with his mustache and beard tickling her clit making her giggle in between the times when he had her crying out in pleasure.

"I'm gonna cum!" Leilah shook with the buildup of an intense orgasm until she came, holding Rowan's head and smothering him in her pussy as he gratefully thrust his tongue inside of her. Bray, who was sitting at the head of the bed, gave Harper a nod letting him know it was his turn. Harper pulled Rowan away by the shoulder and got on his knees in front of Leilah. He stuck the tip of his nose in her pussy first and proceeded to move his head in a circular motion to spread her wetness all around his face. Rowan devoured her, but Harper was truly worshipping her. Taking the time to kiss every inch of her flower, he eventually lifted her legs up towards her chest and ran his tongue along her asshole.

"Now, this is how you worship the queen!" Bray exclaimed as he started jerking off again, watching Leilah's eyes roll back while Harper savored her.

"Shit…" Leilah grabbed Harper's hair and guided his head as he opened his mouth wider, stimulating her clit and releasing his warm breath inside of her. "Fuck!" She gripped his hair harder as she pulled him into her pussy. Just as she reached one of the most incredibly orgasms of her life, he sucked on her clit while slipping a finger into her asshole. "FUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKK!" Leilah's whole body shuttered as she squirted in his face. Bray laughed as she laid there lifeless as if the orgasm had killed her. He gave Rowan a nod and he pushed Harper out of the way, picking up her limp body, and lifting her up with her legs straddling him. He eased her down onto his rock hard dick and it seemed to jolt her back to life. Rowan heaved up into her while palming her ass. After 5 or 6 thrusts, he stopped knowing he was about to cum and he knew cumming inside of Leilah was strictly forbidden. When he stopped, Leilah got down from his grasp and pushed him back on the bed to ride him. She climbed onto him and he let his arms flop out to the side in complete surrender as she rode him like a wild horse. Seeing Leilah lean front onto Rowan, Harper decided to seize the opportunity and positioned himself behind her in preparation to enter her from behind. Rowan held her against his chest as Harper gently slid into her ass making her squirm and taking the guys even closer to ejaculation. Harper slowly eased his way in and out of Leilah as she cried out in excruciating pain that was slowly converting into immense pleasure. Hearing her cry out in pain seemed to turn Bray on even more. He stroked his dick harder as his eyes drifted to the ceiling while he listened to his friends fuck the woman he intended to make his wife someday. The moaning coming from the three of them let Bray know it wouldn't be long before Harper and Rowan would be cumming.

"Ok boys, my turn." Bray pulled Harper back from Leilah and pulled her off of Rowan before laying down on the bed, and positioning her on top so she could ride him. Although having Harper and Rowan's massive endowment inside of her felt good, when Bray was inside of her, she felt heaven and earth colliding.

"Mmmm!" She sat up on Bray's dick and rode him in a trance as Rowan and Harper jerked off on each side of her. "Ahhh….Mmmm." Knowing he and Leilah were about to have another earth shaking orgasm, Bray gave Rowan and Harper permission to come closer to her as they jerked off. Sensing the two giants on each side of her, Leilah grabbed both of their throbbing erections in her hands, alternating as she sucked them off while she rode Bray.

"Show your gratitude her with your seed!" Bray started to thrust up into her while she rode him, rubbing her clit with his hand as he shoved his full length inside of her. Leilah jerked both Harper and Rowan as she flicked her tongue at both of their openings until a shower of their semen covered her face and Bray came inside of her. Leilah wiped her face and eagerly licked their sticky offering from her fingers. She swallowed their semen to show her acceptance of their offering. "Let the essence of our followers nourish the seed I've already planted, my queen. Our family will be complete soon enough."

Harper went to the bathroom to get a towel for her to wipe her face before Bray brought her close to his chest as she still shuddered from the unimaginable ecstasy she just experienced. Harper and Rowan quietly left the house and returned to their cots in the garage beaming with gratefulness for their leader sharing his beautiful goddess with them. Bray held Leilah until she fell asleep in his arms, completely satisfied as the fulfillment of their destiny grew within her stomach.

As Bray was sharing Leilah with Harper and Rowan, Baron had called Ivy and spent a much more modest night with her. To ensure her safety, she invited him to her place. When Baron entered the building and walked up the hall to her room, Kevin peeked out of his door with jealous tears filling his eyes as he saw the tall, dark stranger knock on Ivy's door. He knew something was different about this man. He wasn't drunk and Ivy always escorted her victims to her room personally. The fact that she gave him her address showed him that this was a man she might be genuinely interested in.

"Hey you…" Ivy opened the door and greeted him with the broad smile that had come to haunt his dreams. Baron walked into her modest room and looked around as she closed the door behind him, while getting a good look at him from behind. She was playing a mix of her favorite dark folk music and had lit numerous candles around the room to get rid of any residual smells of death that she might have become immune to.

"Nice place…" Baron removed his vest, standing there in a white v neck t shirt, jeans and his boots.

"Thanks…make yourself comfortable." Ivy walked to the side of her bed and kicked her hatchet further under the bed. Baron sat on her bed and it sunk down under his weight making Ivy bite her lip to imagine a man that size on top of her. She had opened a bottle of wine before he got there and she handed a glass of it to Baron.

"Thank you…" He sipped it even though he was a more of a whiskey man. "I guess you're relieved to have off tonight, huh?" Baron's curiosity about her "work" was something she knew she'd eventually have to deal with.

"Yes I am relieved. It's nice to relax without having to worry about…my work." Ivy sat next to him on the bed. "What about you? What do you do?" Ivy sipped her wine as she eyed him up and down.

"It's complicated." Baron gulped at his wine as he thought about the cleansing he had just done with Bray. "What about you? You never really told me what you do." Ivy's red lips parted in a sexy smirk that made Baron want to pin her to the bed and have his way with her.

"It's complicated as well…" She sat back on the bed as the sounds of one of favorite bands, "Brown Bird" filled the room adding to the tension between her and Baron.

"Well, I have all night…tell me about it." Baron stared directly into her eyes making her feel she could confide in him. He moved closer to her and wrapped his heavily tattooed arm around her waist.

"I don't know that I'm ready to do that…" Ivy broke away from his intense stare and looked at the floor where she spotted a tiny speck of dried blood she had failed to clean up from one of her victims. Taking a huge step, Baron scooted up on her bed and pulled her into him, spooning her.

"That's fine, you don't have to talk about it now." Baron closed his eyes as he smelled the floral aroma from her neck and "Danger and Dread" began to play.

 _Come on baby let me take your troubles away_

 _Some mean old mama's got your head all in a horrible way_

 _Still for all your crying and all your pain_

He gently kissed the back of her neck letting his lips wander upon a star tattoo that bore her initials. She tried to relax into him, but the memories of all the lives she'd had to bring to a tragic end on that bed kept her from being able to fully release herself.

 _I've heard you wake up crying from the evils lying under our bed_

 _You say there's no use trying to protect you from the danger and dread_

 _Though this world is made of fearsome beasts that bark and bite_

 _We born to put these creatures through one hell of a fight_

 _May we feast upon the flesh of any fever that befalls you tonight_

Feeling her tense up with the thoughts she was keeping from him, he pulled her closer, making her feel a security she hadn't felt in several years.

"Can you take me somewhere? Anywhere but here…" Ivy had tears welling in her eyes that she chastised herself for.

"Let's go…" Baron got up from the bed without even questioning her. He put his vest on and waited for her to put her shoes on and blow out the candles. He whisked her down the hall and outside to his bike. He hopped on and guided her as she climbed on the back. They sped down the dirt road towards his house as she rested her head on his back feeling a trust that she never thought she could find in a man.

A few minutes later, they pulled into his driveway and parked the bike. He took her hand and led her down to the moonlit Lafourche Bayou. He wrapped her in his arms and they stood in silence until she felt the words ready to explode unless she let them out.

"I had a rough childhood, Baron. My dad died when I was 10 and my mom remarried an asshole when I was 12." The same tears she fought back at her place resurfaced making her resent what she perceived as weakness.

"I'm sorry to hear that…my dad died when I was 18." Baron pulled her in closer as the stillness of the bayou lulled them into each other's history.

"I watched him rape my big sister for years and my mom always made it seem like my sister's fault…" Ivy let the tears fall as she rested in the arms of this stranger. "I can't believe I'm telling you this. I don't even know you."

"My stepdad beat my mom for a long time and she continued to protect him…we may not have known each other for very long, but we already have a connection. There's no judgement here." He kissed her on the neck while she continued to share her hurt.

"After my sister left home, he turned his attention to me when I was 16 and tried to rape me…" Her voice drifted off and she clenched onto Baron's arms. He just followed her vibe and squeezed her as they watched the moon dangling over the bayou. "He tried to pull my pants down as I was washing dishes one day and I was determined to defend myself even if my mom wouldn't…" She turned around in Baron's arm so she was facing him. There was a sadistic smile on her face through the tears that intrigued Baron. "My mom was at work and he came into the kitchen completely naked. Just as he pressed his disgusting dick against my back, I grabbed the sharpest knife in the butcher block, turned around and sawed his dick right off!" Ivy chuckled to think about that day and Baron fell more in love with her. "I wanted to make sure that bastard didn't have a chance to bring any other sick assholes into the world." She looked up into Baron's face and saw that he was biting his lip as if he wanted to take her right there on the banks of the bayou.

"You did what you had to do…that's one way to cleanse the world of assholes like him." Baron pulled her into his body as he once again thought about the cleansing he had done with Bray earlier that night. "We all do what must be done, when the time is right, but we'll talk about that later." He kissed her forehead before leading her back to his house to cuddle in his bed.

As the sun came up over the bayou, Ivy laid there wide awake after a night of inner conflict about revealing her biggest secret to Baron. She knew he was awake when he pulled her into him and kissed the tattoo on the back of her neck.

"Baron…I think I'm ready to tell you about my work…but it may change your perception of me. It's pretty…dark. Most would be shocked at what I'm capable of." She sat up in his bed and looked down at him as he gave her a sinister grin. This would make or break this new connection they had built, but she felt the need to purge. He simply sat up in the bed, and stroked the side of her body before folding his arms.

"Try me…"


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Over the next few months, there was a different vibe throughout the bayou. Leilah woke up early one Sunday morning and called her only female friend, Ivy. As the men got closer, Ivy and Leilah became like sisters as they became more and more aware of the similarities in their missions. There were certain secrets Ivy kept exclusive to Baron, but he told the rest of the group about Ivy's past and ability to cleanse whenever it was called for. While Ivy understood Leilah's plight to rid the world of careless drunk drivers, Leilah fully sympathized with Ivy's need to be a hero for women who had been raped.

Ivy went to a drugstore near her rooming house to pick up a few things for Leilah and brought them back to Bray's house before he woke up to observe his day of relaxation with her.

"Here's the stuff you asked for. Are you ready?" Ivy handed Leilah the brown paper bag as Leilah nodded and went into the bathroom. While Leilah was in the bathroom, Ivy took out her phone to see her daily "good morning" text from Baron. Ever since she told him all about her "work", they had become attached in a way neither of them could've imagined. He shared his past and newly accepted mission with her as well. Neither of them were sure how the other would respond, but they never passed judgment on each other. They even talked about their favorite historic figures. Baron had a tattoo of Jack the Ripper, while Ivy was partial to Lizzy Borden, hence the hatchet being her weapon of choice. Although they were both turned on by the details of their missions, they hadn't had sex yet. Ivy considered herself a sexual woman, but it was new for her to separate the act of sex from killing. So she wanted to make sure she took things nice and slow.

Leilah emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later with an indecipherable look on her face.

"Well?" Ivy looked on in excitement.

"I'm…pregnant!" Leilah ran to hug Ivy just as Bray came out of their bedroom. Leilah turned to him with a big smile on her face. "Baby…I have something to tell you!" Leilah took Bray's hand and led him to the table off the kitchen. He didn't let her speak before planting a kiss on her.

"You're positively glowing!"

"I'm pregnant!" Leilah and Ivy waited for a shocked expression from Bray that never came. He just pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again.

"I told you our destiny would be fulfilled in due time! This is all a part of the plan!" He squeezed her and Ivy was taken away from the moment by her phone ringing. It was Baron.

"Hey honey…" Ivy was beaming with excitement for Bray and Leilah.

"Good morning! What are you so happy about?" Baron's deep voice made Ivy giggle like a schoolgirl.

"Oh nothing…I'm just over at Bray and Leilah's…they just got some great news." Ivy held the phone up into the air as Leilah screamed that she was pregnant into the phone.

"Wow! Really?! That's awesome!" Baron was excited for the new life that would be breathed into their group.

"We're gonna go celebrate tonight!" Bray yelled loud enough for Baron to hear him. "Put on your dancing shoes, Baron!" Bray laughed as he continued to cuddle with Leilah.

Ivy excused herself from Bray and Leilah's private celebration after she hung up with Baron. She had a standing appointment on Sunday mornings that not even Baron knew about. She climbed into her car and sped off down the road to the Thibodeaux Church of God.

Later that evening, the whole group met up at Bray and Leilah's house. They all dressed in their best clothes for the celebration of their new addition and even Harper and Rowan looked presentable. Baron wore his usual white v neck tee, but chose to dress it up with a blazer. Leilah wore a little black dress that Bray could barely keep his hands out of. If she weren't already pregnant, he would've certainly sealed the deal that night. Once Ivy got there, the group was ready to go. Ivy wore a dark brown, fitted dress that looked like a second skin, with knee high boots. They were all prepared for a night off from cleansing and pure celebration.

Taking off down the road, Baron rode with Ivy in her car while Harper and Rowan stuck with Leilah and Bray in the truck. They drove a few miles to a place called "Teddy's Juke Joint". They served some of the greatest Cajun and soul food in Louisiana and they topped it off with the best live bands in the area. When they walked into the small venue, most of the other patrons knew Bray and came up to greet him immediately.

"My lady is having a baby! Drinks on me!" Bray's announcement drew cheers from the crowd and they flooded Leilah and Bray with congratulations. They sat at the best table in the place and the waitress made sure they had everything they needed. Bray couldn't keep his hands off Leilah's stomach as he seemed to be in his own little world, whispering in her ear. Even Harper and Rowan sported jubilant expressions as they each took a shot of whiskey.

Baron kept his hand positioned on Ivy's leg for most of the night and gave any man who even looked in her direction a look to warn them that she was unofficially his. She had a few glasses of wine by the time the band took the stage and she was certainly in the mood to dance. As the old blues band started to play, she reached across the table to grab Leilah's hand.

"Come on girl! Let's hit the dance floor! You gotta get your dancing in before that baby comes!" Ivy stuck her tongue out at Leilah making Bray roar with laughter as the ladies headed to the dance floor. They were the life of the party as the band seemed to be playing directly to them as they playfully danced and moved to the music. Baron and Bray sat back loving the fact that every man in there was lusting after their women, but they would be the ones taking them home. The women laughed and danced to the music with an occasional male suitor approaching them, but they split as soon as the women pointed in direction of their men and Bray gave the men a sadistic wave.

Leilah fanned herself and headed back to the table just as the band started to play a Muddy Waters' inspired rendition of "I Just Want to Make Love to You". Ivy stayed on the floor giving Baron a seductive stare as she twisted her hips to the music.

"I believe you're being called to the dance floor, Baron." Bray laughed as Leilah sat on his lap. Harper and Rowan sat back prepared to enjoy the show as Baron slowly stood up and took his time walking to the dancefloor as Ivy curled her finger, silently telling him to come to her. Once he made it to her, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent down to kiss her. She pulled a chair from a nearby table and pushed Baron onto it, preparing to give him a lap dance. The lighting guy for the band turned a red light onto the dancefloor.

 _I don't want you to be no slave_

 _I don't want you to work all day_

 _I don't want you to be true_

 _I just want to make love to you_

She wiggled her hips as the lead singer growled out the sensual lyrics and Baron sat staring at her with a pleased smirk. As she walked around him and draped her arms over him from the back, their table of friends whistled and hollered, cheering her on, but they were in their own little world while she sang along into his ear. Ivy walked back to the front of Baron and sat on his lap placing his hands on her hips. Just as she felt Baron getting excited, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his body.

"You're gonna get yourself in trouble, little lady…." He fought back a moan as she giggled and swept her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe I'm looking for a little trouble tonight." Ivy grinded in his lap as their friends continued to yell and cheer them on.

"I'm gonna devour you…" Baron squeezed her in his arms as the song came to an end and Ivy led him back to their table of friends. Ivy went to sit back down at the table, but Baron nodded his head as if he were asking her to join him outside, drawing even more teasing and cheers from their friends.

Baron led her to the alley next to the bar, pinning her up against the building. They were silently kissing each other and enjoying each other's closeness for several minutes before Baron was the first to speak.

"Are you really ready to take this next step?" He leaned his forehead against hers rendering her helpless under his dark gaze.

"I think we've waited long enough, don't you?" Ivy leaned her head back against the wall as Baron kissed her neck.

"My place or yours?"

"My place is closer…" Ivy tossed her keys to Baron to let him drive, sent a text to Leilah letting the group know they were leaving, and they hopped in her car to speed back to Ivy's room.

The two of them barely made it to her room before they were ripping each other's clothes off. They were so consumed with each other that they didn't notice her landlord, Kevin peeking out his door at them. When they made it inside, Baron went into the bathroom and Ivy put on some music and lit a few candles. By the time he came back he was welcomed into her presence by "Bad Things" by Jace Everett. Wasting no time on pleasantries, they finished undressing each other and fell back onto the bed. Baron licked her neck and made his way to her breasts where he bit down on her nipples like a savage, sending chills through her body.

"You like it rough, huh?" Baron reached into his jean pocket on the floor and pulled something out as she continued to squirm under him. Returning his attention to her, he slid down between her legs, mashing his tongue into her clit with her encouraging him by holding his head in place and humping his face.

"I love it rough….I might scare you." As Ivy thought about doing some of the things that turned her on, she got closer to her orgasm.

"I have an idea of what you might like, sweetheart." He broke away from her pussy just long enough to do some trash talking before he really dove in and brought her to the first core shaking orgasm of the night. She pulled him up and shoved her tongue down his throat, eagerly tasting herself on his mouth. Then she pushed him until he was on his back, wasting no time taking his full length in her mouth. Picking up on the vibes he was giving her, she sucked him down and gave him light bites as she released him from her mouth. "Shit, that feels good!" She moved her attention to his balls, sucking one of them into her mouth as she stroked his dick. Feeling himself about to cum, he pulled her head up and kissed her as he chuckled. "I'm not done with your ass yet!" He pushed her back onto the bed, picking up the object he got from his jeans pocket. She laid there patiently with her arms above her head as he knelt on the bed making eye contact with her to make sure what he was about to do was okay. "Let me know if you want me to stop…" He pushed the button to release his switchblade and gently ran in between her breasts, moving to her nipples letting the cool metal further arouse them.

"Ahhh…." Feeling where he was going, Ivy could barely keep her body on the bed out of excitement. While staring at her, never breaking his gaze, Baron ran the blade down her body making a shallow cut, but deep enough for her blood to flow down to the side of her body. "Fuck yes!" Ivy ran her hand across the cut smearing her blood all over her breasts and stomach. Unable to contain his arousal, Baron dove on top of her and kissed her passionately as she left two bloody handprints on his back. Feeling a sense of liberation, knowing Baron was on the same level with her sexual fetishes, Ivy pushed him off and made him lay on his back. She lowered herself onto his dick and rode him with her hands planted on his large chest. Grinding and fucking the man she'd been dreaming about lately was taking her to a new level of pleasure. It had been such a long time since she had sex for pleasure and not for kill. Seeing Ivy riding him, covered in her own blood was making Baron fall in love as he thrust up into her powerfully while holding her hips to keep her balanced. Neither of them could keep their cool anymore. Ivy fell front onto Baron's chest and he held her tight as they came together amidst a chorus of loud moans and Ivy's screams.

"I thought we might as well put these rubber sheets to good use…" Baron kissed Ivy on the forehead as she laid on him.

"Next time, I get to cut you…I love seeing your beautiful tattoos covered in blood." Ivy rubbed against Baron spreading her blood on his body, turning him on again.

"Deal…I love you, Lizzy…"

"I love you more, Jack…"


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

As Leilah progressed into the last months of her pregnancy, she participated in less of the cleansings. The group had taken to utilizing Ivy as bait for their victims. She would go to the same bars she had scouted out her own victims and would follow careless drunks as they left. Harper and Rowan would take out their tires and Ivy would come along to "rescue" the distressed drivers. That particular night, Ivy was on the phone with Leilah as she followed her unassuming target from the bar.

"Be careful out there, girl." Leilah was taking deep breaths into the phone.

"Don't worry…" Ivy looked into the passenger seat to see Baron's switchblade and slipped it into her pocket. "I'm packing reinforcement. You just concentrate on taking it easy. That baby is gonna show her beautiful face any day now!"

"She's not supposed to be here for another month, but it feels like she's trying to make her appearance a little early."

"Oh I know…she's gonna show up when she pleases. You just be ready, Mama!" Ivy hung up with Leilah as she saw the car in front of her swerve and careen into a ditch. She pulled up behind them and slowly got out of the car. As she walked towards him, she could see Harper and Rowan tucked behind the trees across the road. The man driving the car got out shaking his head as he tried to figure out what went wrong. "Hey…need some help?" Ivy had her hands in her pocket, pulling her leather jacket open so the man got a good look at her breasts.

"You must be my guardian angel!" The drunk man tried to be cool as he staggered towards Ivy. Harper and Rowan looked as if they were ready to lunge at any time.

"I just might be…looks like you have a flat."

"Yeah, I have a spare in my trunk. I could fix it if I can get my car out of this ditch."

"Well, I happen to have a friend who owns a tow truck. He's actually at my house right now. We're having a little _party_." Ivy moved in closer to the man to give him a closer look at her "goods".

"A party huh?" The man reached out to stroke Ivy's side and she saw Harper and Rowan starting to come out of the woods but held her hand up to tell them she was okay. "Maybe I should call for roadside assistance and I can follow you back to your place once my tire is fixed."

"You _could_ do that…" Ivy moved closer and bit back her contempt as she stroked his face. "Or you could come to my place, have a drink with me and my friend can come get your car later…when we're done _partying_." Ivy winked at him. He quickly snatched the keys from his car and followed Ivy back to her car.

"A 4C Spider, huh? This is a nice whip you have here." He climbed into the passenger seat and Ivy made the engine roar.

"Yes…I call her the Black Widow." She gave him a sexy smirk as she sped off down the road towards Baron's house.

Since Leilah was far into her pregnancy, the group had done the majority of their cleansings at Baron's house. Bray's tow truck was parked in the driveway next to Baron's bike as they pulled up and the man quickly staggered out of the car. When they opened the door, Baron and Bray were sitting in the living room having a beer.

"Hey Ivy…I see you brought home a friend!" Bray was putting on his best drunk act to appeal to the already drunk stranger.

"Yes…this is my friend…." Ivy snapped her fingers as she looked at the man for his name.

"John..." He extended his hand to greet Bray as he presumptuously hung his other arm around Ivy's waist drawing an annoyed look from Baron.

"John this is my friend Bray, the tow truck driver I told you about and our friend Baron." Ivy stood back as he greeted both of the men. "Let me get you a beer, John." Ivy walked into the kitchen as Baron and Bray talked to John in the living room.

Ivy emerged with a beer for John and one for herself. She sat on the couch next to John and he put his arm around her.

"Cheers, John!" Bray lifted his beer to John and Baron reluctantly followed suit. John guzzled the beer as he pulled Ivy in closer.

"So how about we get this party started?" He thought he was whispering to Ivy, but he said it loud enough for Baron and Bray to hear.

"Oh in due time, my new friend…in due time!" Bray lifted his beer again as Baron rolled his eyes.

Within 10 minutes, John started to shake his head as if he was trying to shake off his buzz. Bray, Baron and Ivy carried on their conversation as normal until they saw John starting to slump over on the couch. Baron walked over and stood in front of him wielding his favorite hammer.

"What's the matter, John? You'll never be able to handle Ivy if you can't hold your alcohol!" Without warning to Ivy, Baron swung the hammer, bashing in John's skull as Bray laughed like a maniac. John's blood splatted all over Ivy as she shook her head at Baron.

"That never gets old!" Bray put his beer down and joined in on the fun by sticking his knife under John's chin and thrusting it up into his skull as if he were merely killing a crawfish. Ivy went to Baron's bedroom and got the antique hatchet he bought her for her birthday and started hacking at John's lifeless body as she thought about him putting his hands on her. Bray finally slid the hacked up body from the couch and took out his phone to call Harper and Rowan to bring the saw in to finish the disposal process, but as soon as he took out his phone, he saw that Leilah was calling him. She said she was having contractions and the baby was on her way.

"It's time for the baby!" Bray yelled, startling Ivy and Baron as they continued to cut the body up before Harper and Rowan got there. "I'm going to go get Leilah and take her to the hospital!"

"I'm gonna go home and clean up. Then I'll jet to the hospital to be with you guys!" Ivy was positively giddy as she pulled out her car keys and walked towards the door.

"Baron, you Harper and Rowan can finish this job, can't you?" Bray was half way out the door and smiling from ear to ear.

"Sure, Bray you go ahead. We'll clean up and then we'll go pick up Ivy so we can all ride to the hospital together." Baron shook Bray's hand and gave Ivy a kiss before going back to cutting up the body.

Ivy sped back to her place in record time. She wanted to be there for her best friend as she welcomed her first child into the world. Just as she slipped her clean shirt over her head, she heard a knock at the door. Assuming it was Baron and the guys coming to pick her up, she whipped the door open, but it was Kevin.

"Hey Kevin…sorry I was just on my way out. Can we talk later?" Ivy put on her leather jacket and made sure she had everything she needed.

"No….we need to talk now." Kevin came into her room and pushed the door, but didn't close it all the way. Ivy finally turned her attention to him as he slowly walked towards her. "I've been patient…I've waited for so long thinking my turn would come."

"What are you talking about, Kevin? I don't have time for this."

"You don't have time for me, but you have time for that asshole boyfriend of yours, don't you?!" Kevin's eyes were bloodshot red and Ivy looked on with a mixture of confusion and slight fear. "I've helped you get rid of bodies…I even gave you connections to push the paperwork through to transfer that guy's car into your name after you killed him, but it was never my turn!"

"Your turn for what?!"

"All I wanted was to love you…to feel your body against mine, just once!" He pushed her against the wall and kissed her, making Ivy gag. "Well, now it's my turn!" Kevin pulled out a gun and pressed it into Ivy's stomach. Standing in a state of shock, Ivy put her hands up showing Kevin she wasn't going to put up a fight.

"Kevin…calm down…we can talk about this."

"No more talking! You were supposed to be mine!" Kevin shook as he held the gun against her body. "You're gonna give me what's mine right now!" He tore her shirt with one hand and quickly choked her against the wall. "Put on some music! Light some candles…I want the full experience!" He kept the gun pointed at Ivy as she slowly walked around the room obeying his commands. She put on her mix CD and put her hands back in the air. "Now kiss me!" Kevin lunged at her shoving his tongue down her throat, as tears started to stream down her face. Suddenly, he pushed her down by her shoulders and unzipped his pants before shoving his dick in her mouth. Holding the gun to the top of her head, he fucked her face as she gagged at his smell. Wanting her to continue, he laid back on her bed and held her head in place. Her eyes shifted over to the side of the bed where she kept her hatchet. "Don't try any bullshit or I'll blow your fuckin head off!" Remembering Baron's switchblade in her pocket, she devised a plan as she pretended to get into sucking his dick. She did her best to make him cum as she sucked, slurped and swallowed him before making her way to his balls. Just as he was about to cum, he let his hands fall to the side and Ivy knew this was her chance. She quickly pulled the switchblade from her jacket pocket and stabbed him in the stomach. As he screamed, she reached for her hatchet and climbed on top of him. She gave him one good whack in the head before he put the gun to her stomach and fired. She screamed out in pain as she gave him a few more whacks before falling over on the bed next to his lifeless body.

"Fuck!" Ivy tried to stand but she fell back on the bed gasping for air. Her blood saturated the white t shirt she was wearing and she felt herself getting weaker, so she just laid back on the bed as the tears fell from her eyes. "God, please forgive me…" She closed her eyes just as Baron came to her door and saw the bloody scene.

"Ivy!" He ran to her and grabbed her limp body to see the gunshot wound. "No, baby come on…." He slapped her face lightly to try and wake her up, but he knew he was too late. He held her while sobbing like a child as the love of his life succumbed to death in his arms. As he held her body, "The Dreamer" by Amigo the Devil started to play on her CD mix. He looked down at the bottom of the bed and saw his switchblade that Ivy used to try and defend herself. He grabbed it and wrapped his arms around Ivy as he felt her body getting heavier. With tears streaming down his normally stoic face, Baron kissed Ivy on the cheek before dragging the blade across his wrist and let it fall on the bed as he wrapped his arms around her body. "I love you, Ivy." He pulled her back as they laid in each other's arms for the last time until the life left his body. He could only hope that he would meet her in their next lifetime and time would be much more kind to them than it had been in this life.

Bray and Leilah made it to the hospital just in time. Their baby girl was ready to make her entrance into the world and she was coming quickly. The doctors helped Bray coach Leilah as she pushed through a natural birth. Harper and Rowan were outside in the waiting room. Baron convinced them to drop him off at Ivy's and to go ahead of them to the hospital. He would just ride to the hospital with Ivy after she was dressed. They sat nervously twiddling their thumbs like proud uncles, waiting for an update from Bray.

About 3 hours later, Bray appeared in the waiting room, telling them to come see their new niece. The doctor allowed them to make a brief visit after the baby was cleaned off and resting in Leilah's arms.

"Come on in guys! Meet Destiny Lee Wyatt!" Leilah beamed as she looked around the room and the men who were normally monsters, gushed over the baby girl who would rule their world from now on. After fawning over the baby for a few minutes, Leilah noticed her best friend wasn't there. "Guys, where's Ivy and Baron?" Harper and Rowan looked at each other and shrugged.

"You know those two, they might've gotten side tracked…if you know what I mean!" Bray laughed loudly as he stroked Destiny's hair, but Leilah had a serious look on her face.

"No…I know Ivy and she wouldn't miss this…" Leilah looked at Bray who was helpless under her power.

"Boys, how about you go see what's keeping Baron and Ivy...if it'll make my beautiful queen and princess happy. Take the F250 in case they need a ride." Bray barely looked at them because he was so consumed with his new baby girl.

"Ivy is in room 13. Tell them to get their asses over here to meet their new niece!" Leilah giggled as Bray kissed her forehead. Harper and Rowan didn't hesitate when getting Bray and Leilah's orders, and quickly went to the truck to head to Ivy's rooming house.

When they got there, the door was still open and they were greeted with the sight of their friends' bodies laid on the bed. Each of the men shed silent tears as they assessed the situation and went in to action. They wrapped their bodies up in the blankets from Ivy's bed and carefully set them in the back seat of the truck. They came back to get Kevin's body, breaking his bones and using the hatchet to fit him in a few trash bags before tossing him in the bed of the truck. After cleaning up the room, they took the bodies back to Bray's house to deal with them. Not wanting to dampen Bray and Leilah's mood, they dug two separate graves for Baron and Ivy, giving them a respectable burial. They buried Ivy next to the rose bush in Bray's backyard that she always admired and laid Baron right by her side. They angrily disposed of Kevin's body the way they had all of their other victims, tossing his body in the mass grave pit. After burial, the two men cleaned up and headed back to the hospital as they tried to figure out how to tell Bray and Leilah what had happened.

Harper and Rowan sat in the waiting room again until Bray came to get them to look at Destiny through the window, laying there with all the other newborn babies.

"Isn't she beautiful, boys?" Rowan put his hand on Bray's shoulder drawing a confused look from him. He looked up into Rowan's tear filled eyes and felt what he was going to tell him. His head shot to Harper who also had tears in his eyes.

"They're dead…"Harper tried to keep his voice from trembling as he uttered the words.

"Baron and Ivy?!" Bray put his hands on the glass as he cried, mourning his friends. "We'll wait til tomorrow to tell Leilah…let her rest." The three men stood there watching baby Destiny in a cloud of mixed emotions. They thought they had become immune to death, but there was no way to be prepared for losing a part of their family.

The next day, the sun was shining brightly as Leilah woke up to her newborn baby. Bray was sitting in a chair across the room watching her as she slept.

"Hey baby…" Leilah sat up and looked over at Destiny sleeping.

"Good morning, my beautiful queen." Bray was able to flash a smile as he saw Leilah and the baby, but she could tell something was wrong.

"What's the matter, honey?" She studied his face, but couldn't figure out what was on his mind. "What time did Ivy and Baron get here last night?" As she mentioned their names, Bray just turned his gaze to the floor. "Bray….look at me!" Bray walked over and sat on the edge of the bed to look into his beloved's eyes. He bit back the words, wanting to delay Leilah's sadness as long as he could.

"They're gone, Leilah…" Bray looked away as Leilah slowly processed what he meant. Tears filled her eyes as she fell front into his shoulder for comfort. "I know, darling…this is tough. God might have taken our friends back, but he gave us Destiny for comfort." Leilah looked at the window to her room where she saw two buzzards swoop down and land on the tree near the window. She lifted her head to look at Destiny before cracking a slight smile through her tears. She knew that was Ivy and Baron's way of welcoming their niece into the world. Bray held her in his arms trying to be strong for Leilah and their daughter.

Since things had gone well with her birth, Leilah and baby Destiny were able to leave the hospital later that day. Harper and Rowan took the tow truck and the F250 home the night before and came back to pick up Bray, Leilah and the baby later that evening. On the way home, they explained to Bray that they couldn't figure out what had gone wrong leading up to Ivy and Baron's deaths. All they knew was there was another man and a gun lying next to their bodies on the bed. Bray wanted Leilah to take the baby home and get some rest, but she insisted on tagging along to find out what happened to their friends.

While Leilah and Destiny stayed in the truck, Bray and the guys went upstairs to Ivy's room. Rowan took her keys from her pocket before the burial, so they were able to get in and look around. Harper and Rowan did a great job of cleaning the blood up, but they were both filled with dread as they revisited the scene of their friends' deaths. As the men walked around the room trying to piece together the motive for their deaths, a young couple knocked on the door to get their attention.

"Excuse me….do you live here?" The woman was dressed in an expensive looking pantsuit and the man sported a sweater and khakis.

"No, this room belongs to a friend of ours." Bray engaged in conversation with the woman hoping to get some information.

"Well, have you seen this man?" The woman held up a picture of Kevin, and Harper and Rowan recognized him immediately. Harper elbowed Bray letting him know that this was the man whose body they found.

"Ah yes! What's his name…"

"Kevin, he's the manager of this shit hole, but he's also my brother." The woman looked around Ivy's room in disgust, making Bray want to slap her.

"Kevin! That's it!" Bray played along with the woman, but kept quiet enough to make sure he listened for any details.

"We're having car trouble. A couple of buzzards or something slammed into our windshield. We were on our way to New Orleans and my brother is the only person we know in this piece of shit town." The woman put the picture away and folded her arms in disgust with her surroundings. "No offense…"

"None taken, darling. This town isn't everybody's cup of tea, but you know what…I happen to own a garage a few miles from here. I can tow you back there, and you can call your auto club from there. Cell reception can be a little dicey here."

"Yeah, I've noticed. That would be very nice…but I'd really like to find my brother."

"I understand. Kevin is a good friend of our friend Ivy who lives in this 'shit hole' as you called it. It would be no problem to tow you back to my place. Hell, Kevin might even be there. You see, the love of my life just had a beautiful baby girl and we're having a small celebration tonight. You can have a drink while they come and take care of your car!" Bray threw his arms around Harper and Rowan as they smiled broadly.

"Well, we were gonna look for a place to go to dinner if we could find _Kevin_." The man spoke for the first time, with a tone of annoyance towards his brother in law.

"I insist that you come by, have a drink with us, and then you can be on your way to dinner with Kevin, once you get your windshield fixed." Bray stared at the man and woman with intensity in his eyes, but flashed his trademark charming smile.

"I guess it couldn't hurt…" The woman gave in and her husband gave her a stern look. "I'm just glad he actually has friends and isn't still sitting alone in his room drinking all day. Besides, I don't wanna sit in the middle of nowhere trying to reach our auto club." Bray chuckled to himself as he signaled for Harper and Rowan to walk ahead of him out of Ivy's room.

"That's the spirit! My southern hospitality wouldn't allow me to leave you two nice strangers stranded in the middle of the bayou. We'll have a great time! We're right outside in the big, black truck. I'll scoot home and get the tow truck and we'll be back in a jiffy to pick you up." Bray walked the couple outside where they saw Leilah waving while holding Destiny. The wife even walked over and greeted baby Destiny, making her eager to go to the celebration at the Wyatt home. "We'll be right back. Don't move a muscle!" Bray carefully drove off from the rooming house towards their house and Leilah looked at him with a knowing smile.

"What are you up to, Bray?"

"Me? I'm just helping out the poor sister and brother in law of the man who is responsible for us losing our dear family members." Bray chuckled along with Harper and Rowan in the back seat as Leilah made baby talk with Destiny. "Besides, it's never too early for baby's first cleansing!" Bray leaned over and kissed Leilah as he slightly picked up the speed. He took in a deep breath and looked up at the moon rising over the bayou and saw two buzzards flying to their nest in one of the trees. He couldn't help but to smile with tears in his eyes. Nothing could provide them with the healing they needed like a cleansing. With the birth of their first child, they were assured that their mission would continue long after they were gone. They might have lost some family along the way, but their destiny had truly been fulfilled.

 ****Thank you for reading "Dark Beauty"! I'd love to hear your feedback and please check out my other stories!****


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